A Feast of Beethoven

Friday, April 24, 7:30 PM

Trevor Pinnock, conductor
Alexandra Dovgan, piano
San Diego Symphony Orchestra

BEETHOVEN: Coriolan Overture Op. 62
BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 5, “Emperor”
BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92

READ PROGRAM NOTES

Trevor Pinnock, one of the great masters of Baroque and Classical music in our age, and Alexandra Dovgan, a young pianist already celebrated across the world for the majesty and beauty of her playing, join the Orchestra together for the first time for a glorious all-Beethoven program, filled with high drama, hope and nobility. After the tragic grandeur of the Coriolan Overture come two of Beethoven’s greatest and most uplifting masterpieces: the “Emperor” Concerto and the Seventh Symphony, both pieces of overwhelming power and invention.

Also sprach Zarathustra & Bluebeard's Castle

Friday, May 22, 7:30 PM

Rafael Payare, conductor
Karen Cargill, mezzo-soprano
Mark Stone, baritone
San Diego Symphony Orchestra

R. STRAUSS: Also sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30
BARTÓK: Bluebeard’s Castle

READ PROGRAM NOTES

Our season ends with two of the most spectacular and orchestrally overwhelming scores from the late romantic period: Richard Strauss’s epic tone-poem Also sprach Zarathustra, inspired by Nietzsche’s account of the deep meditations of the half- mythical Persian hermit-philosopher Zoroaster; and Bartók’s dramatic fantasy Bluebeard’s Castle, based on the ancient fairy-tale about a young woman who marries a mysterious aristocrat and discovers that he has terrible secrets kept behind locked doors.

Both these magnificent works use extreme and glittering orchestral colors to represent the real colors of the world and the cosmos – dawn, sunlight, vast mountain views, sunset and the darkest night. And both are perfectly suited to our fabulous new acoustic in the Jacobs Music Center, and the beauty of the inside of our hall.

Tragedy and Triumph: Shostakovich Symphony No. 8

Saturday, January 24, 7:30 PM

Rafael Payare, conductor
San Diego Symphony Orchestra

BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 1 in C Major, Op. 21
SHOSTAKOVICH: Symphony No. 8 in C minor, Op. 65

READ PROGRAM NOTES

Beethoven’s explosively exhilarating First Symphony was written in the very last years of the 18th century, when Napoleon was first seizing control of France and setting out to conquer Austria and Italy. The music breathes the air of earth-shaking public events and an intense optimism for the future. Shostakovich composed his colossal Eighth Symphony in the depths of World War II, when the Battle of Stalingrad was raging and the future of the entire world at stake. This wildly dramatic, almost cinematic, music traverses every kind of human feeling from the dark tragedy and struggle of the first movement, through bitter satire and brutal human conflict to despair and finally a vision of a new world of transcendent beauty.

Storms and Fireworks: Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 6, "Pathétique" 

Saturday, February 21, 7:30 PM

Nicholas Carter, conductor
Benjamin Grosvenor, piano
San Diego Symphony Orchestra

BRITTEN: Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes, Op 33a
RAVEL: Piano Concerto in G Major
TCHAIKOVSKY: Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74, “Pathétique”

READ PROGRAM NOTES

Three of the best-loved pieces in the symphonic repertoire come together in this concert which sweeps forward from the thrilling theatre of Benjamin Britten’s "Sea Interludes" from his opera Peter Grimes, depicting the changing colors, the play of light and the terrifying storms of the North Sea between the UK and Germany, to Ravel’s beloved G Major Piano Concerto, with its glittering echoes of American jazz in the outer movements, and a haunting tribute to Bach and Mozart in the lyrical central movement. This concert ends with one of the best known of all symphonies, Tchaikovsky’s Sixth, nicknamed by his brother “Pathétique”, in response to the music’s terrifying mixture of drama and heartfelt melodies.

Fliter Plays Chopin

Saturday, April 18, 7:30 PM

Anna Sulkowska-Migon, conductor
Ingrid Fliter, piano
San Diego Symphony Orchestra

KILAR: Orawa
CHOPIN: Piano Concerto No. 2 in F minor, Op. 21
BORODIN: Symphony No. 2
BORODIN: “Polovtsian Dances” from Prince Igor

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From Polish film composer Wojciech Kilar’s beautiful Orawa, a celebration of the mountain fiddle-players of Southern Poland, to Borodin’s legendary "Polovtsian Dances", conjuring up the wild dancing of ancient nomadic tribespeople in Southern Russia, this program is banquet of music from the shifting borderlands between Europe and Asia. At the center are Chopin’s Second Piano Concerto, written when the great Polish composer and patriot was just 20 years old, and Borodin’s brilliantly colorful and tuneful Second Symphony, evoking the uproarious and warlike merrymaking of mediaeval knights-in-armor, with their ancient bards and strange-sounding folk-instruments.

From the Depths to the Heights

Saturday, May 9, 7:30 PM

Rafael Payare, conductor
Alisa Weilerstein, cello
San Diego Symphony Orchestra

BEETHOVEN: Leonore Overture No. 3, Op. 72b
GABRIELA ORTIZ: Dzonot
PROKOFIEV: Symphony No. 5 in B-flat Major, Op. 100

READ PROGRAM NOTES

Beethoven’s Leonore Overture No. 3 captures the drama and triumph of his only opera, culminating in one of his most thrilling finales—a powerful hymn to freedom and justice.

Renowned Mexican composer Gabriela Ortiz’s new cello concerto Dzonot, written for Alisa Weilerstein, draws inspiration from Mexico’s mystical cenotes—underground worlds rich with life and mystery. Her music blends Latin American folk influences with a deep awareness of our planet’s fragility.

The program concludes with Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 5, written during World War II as a tribute to “the greatness of the human spirit.” Its classical poise, radiant optimism, and structural mastery reveal the enduring influence of Beethoven—the same spirit of triumph and humanity that links all three works on this program.

Please note: This concert repertoire has changed from previously published materials.

Tragedy and Triumph: Shostakovich Symphony No. 8

Saturday, January 24, 7:30 PM

Rafael Payare, conductor
San Diego Symphony Orchestra

BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 1 in C Major, Op. 21
SHOSTAKOVICH: Symphony No. 8 in C minor, Op. 65

READ PROGRAM NOTES

Beethoven’s explosively exhilarating First Symphony was written in the very last years of the 18th century, when Napoleon was first seizing control of France and setting out to conquer Austria and Italy. The music breathes the air of earth-shaking public events and an intense optimism for the future. Shostakovich composed his colossal Eighth Symphony in the depths of World War II, when the Battle of Stalingrad was raging and the future of the entire world at stake. This wildly dramatic, almost cinematic, music traverses every kind of human feeling from the dark tragedy and struggle of the first movement, through bitter satire and brutal human conflict to despair and finally a vision of a new world of transcendent beauty.

Fliter Plays Chopin

Saturday, April 18, 7:30 PM

Anna Sulkowska-Migon, conductor
Ingrid Fliter, piano
San Diego Symphony Orchestra

KILAR: Orawa
CHOPIN: Piano Concerto No. 2 in F minor, Op. 21
BORODIN: Symphony No. 2
BORODIN: “Polovtsian Dances” from Prince Igor

READ PROGRAM NOTES

From Polish film composer Wojciech Kilar’s beautiful Orawa, a celebration of the mountain fiddle-players of Southern Poland, to Borodin’s legendary "Polovtsian Dances", conjuring up the wild dancing of ancient nomadic tribespeople in Southern Russia, this program is banquet of music from the shifting borderlands between Europe and Asia. At the center are Chopin’s Second Piano Concerto, written when the great Polish composer and patriot was just 20 years old, and Borodin’s brilliantly colorful and tuneful Second Symphony, evoking the uproarious and warlike merrymaking of mediaeval knights-in-armor, with their ancient bards and strange-sounding folk-instruments.

Folk Auras: Thayer Plays Berg Violin Concerto

Saturday, May 16, 7:30 PM

Rafael Payare, conductor
Jeff Thayer, violin
San Diego Symphony Orchestra

JIMMY LÓPEZ: Perú negro
BERG: Violin Concerto
MENDELSSOHN: Symphony No. 3 in A minor, “Scottish”

READ PROGRAM NOTES

Three works inspired in very different ways by folk music and the mix of different cultures. Perú Negro (Black Peru), by San Diego Symphony’s Composer-in-Residence Jimmy López, was composed in 2012, and in the words of the composer “showcases my native country’s Afro-Peruvian heritage” while celebrating the exuberant fusion of African and Latin elements in the popular music of his native land. Alban Berg’s last completed work, his mystical Violin Concerto, was written in 1935 “to the memory of an angel”. The angel was Manon, the daughter of Alma Mahler (by her second husband) who had died a few months earlier at the age of 18. Berg includes in his concerto a beautiful folk-tune from the Southern Austrian Catholic region of Carinthia, and a haunting old German Protestant hymn-tune, which Bach had used several times. Mendelssohn’s "Scottish" Symphony, like his Hebrides Overture, was inspired by his youthful trip to Scotland where the young Berliner was overwhelmed by the feeling of a haunting and ancient culture. In his symphony we hear echoes of Scottish traditional music for bagpipes, fiddles and harps, the skipping rhythms of Scottish folk dancing, and Romantic impressions of ruined medieval castles and monasteries.

Music of the Night: Mahler Symphony No. 7

Saturday, January 31, 7:30 PM

Rafael Payare, conductor
San Diego Symphony Orchestra

MAHLER: Symphony No. 7 in E minor

READ PROGRAM NOTES

One of the greatest orchestral composers of all time, Gustav Mahler wrote symphonies which – as a later composer famously remarked – “sum up the whole history of music”. Rafael Payare is a passionate, renowned champion of Mahler and determined this composer should be central to the repertoire and mission of our San Diego Symphony Orchestra. In this concert, he reaches the epic Seventh Symphony, a huge cathedral of sound in five movements, which move from an eerie opening inspired by a trip across an alpine lake at night, through three central movements filled with the ghosts of nocturnal dreams and experiences, to an ending like a colossal and heroic dawn in which all humanity seems to be celebrating.

A Feast of Beethoven

Saturday, April 25, 7:30 PM

Trevor Pinnock, conductor
Alexandra Dovgan, piano
San Diego Symphony Orchestra

BEETHOVEN: Coriolan Overture Op. 62
BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 5, “Emperor”
BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92

READ PROGRAM NOTES

Trevor Pinnock, one of the great masters of Baroque and Classical music in our age, and Alexandra Dovgan, a young pianist already celebrated across the world for the majesty and beauty of her playing, join the Orchestra together for the first time for a glorious all-Beethoven program, filled with high drama, hope and nobility. After the tragic grandeur of the Coriolan Overture come two of Beethoven’s greatest and most uplifting masterpieces: the “Emperor” Concerto and the Seventh Symphony, both pieces of overwhelming power and invention.

Songs for Lovers: The Music of Chet Baker, Sarah Vaughan, Clifford Brown, Charlie Parker, and Dinah Washington

Saturday, February 14, 7:30 PM

Melissa Morgan, vocals
Gilbert Castellanos, trumpet
Charles McPherson, saxophone
Randy Porter, piano
Luke Little, bass
Willie Jones III, drum set

Spend Valentine's Day with loved ones and the music of Chet Baker, Sarah Vaughan, Clifford Brown, Charlie Parker and Dinah Washington.

Please note: the San Diego Symphony Orchestra does not appear on this program.

Dave Brubeck Quartet's TIME OUT

Saturday, April 4, 7:30 PM

Nicole McCabe, alto saxophone
Josh Nelson, piano
Luca Alemanno, bass
Joe LaBarbera - drums

A record-breaking album by the West Coast-cool Dave Brubeck Quartet, Time Out broke records and conventions alike, becoming the first jazz album to sell a million copies, and its single "Take Five" was the first jazz single to sell one million copies. An album with all-original pieces, exploring a variety of musical styles and time signatures, the album was inducted into the GRAMMY® Hall of Fame and was selected for preservation in the United States National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant."

Please note: The San Diego Symphony Orchestra does not appear on this program.

Peter and the Wolf (A Family Concert)

Saturday, February 7, 11:00 AM

Tristan Rais-Sherman, conductor
Taylor Renee Henderson, narrator
San Diego Symphony Orchestra

RIMSKY-KORSAKOV: “Flight of the Bumblebee” from Tale of Tsar Saltan
DAVID MACKENZIE: Right Whale, Wrong Letter (World Premiere)
GERSHWIN: Promenade (Walking the Dog)
ANDERSON: The Waltzing Cat
PROKOFIEV: Peter and the Wolf

Join the San Diego Symphony for a family-friendly concert that celebrates the beauty of the animal kingdom. Experience the buzz of "Flight of the Bumblebee", the grace of The Waltzing Cat, and Gershwin’s playful Promenade (Walking the Dog). Be among the first to hear the world premiere of Right Whale, Wrong Letter, a heartfelt piece about Robley, a North Atlantic Right Whale. The performance concludes with Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf, a timeless tale that brings the characters of animals to life. Bring your family for a morning of music, wonder and a celebration of the natural world we all share.

These 1-hour concerts feature captivating musical stories and interactive moments that are sure to inspire both kids and adults alike.

EXTEND YOUR EXPERIENCE! Join us one hour early for pre-concert activities featuring crafts and activities, included with ticket purchase.

Space Junk (A Family Concert)

Saturday, April 11, 11:00 AM

Gerald Karni, conductor
WindSync, wind quintet
San Diego Symphony Orchestra

R. STRAUSS: “Sunrise Fanfare” from Also sprach Zarathustra
JESSIE MONTGOMERY (arr. Jannina Norpoth): Starburst
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN: "Allegro con brio" and "Allegro" from
   Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67
IVAN TREVINO: Space Junk (World Premiere)
JOHN WILLIAMS: “Main Title” from Star Wars

Explore the wonders of the universe with the San Diego Symphony in a family-friendly concert that’s out of this world! The adventure begins with Strauss’ awe-inspiring Sunrise Fanfare from Also sprach Zarathustra and Jessie Montgomery’s shimmering Starburst. Beethoven’s electrifying Symphony No. 5 adds drama and excitement, while the world premiere of Ivan Trevino’s Space Junk, featuring WindSync, takes you on a fresh and imaginative voyage. The concert concludes with John Williams’ legendary Star Wars theme, a celebration of intergalactic wonder. Perfect for kids and families, this is an unforgettable morning of music that’s truly out of this world!

These 1-hour concerts feature captivating musical stories and interactive moments that are sure to inspire both kids and adults alike.

EXTEND YOUR EXPERIENCE! Join us one hour early for pre-concert activities featuring crafts and activities, included with ticket purchase.

Meet the Brass: ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas

Saturday, December 13, 10:00 AM

Nathalia Palis, host and performer

San Diego Symphony brass quintet:
Christopher Smith, trumpet
Ray Nowak, trumpet
Tricia Skye, French horn
Eric Starr, trombone
Aaron McCalla, tuba

PROGRAM
STEPHANIE LEAVELL: “Say Hello (From Your Head to Your Toes)”
LEROY ANDERSON, arr. THOMAS PURDIE: “Sleigh Ride”
arr. JOHN IVESON: “Jingle Bells” and "Deck the Hall" from Christmas Crackers
arr. WILLIAM PICHER, NATHAN WILENSKY: "Dreidel Song" (“S’Vivon”)
     from Hanukkah Music
arr. BILL HOLCOMBE: “Up on the Rooftop”
arr. SEB SKELLY: “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”
ANTHONY DILORENZO" "‘Twas the Night Before Christmas"
STEPHANIE LEAVELL “We Have to Say Goodbye”

Feel the holiday spirit in this festive musical celebration! Our brass section will bring the beloved poem "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" to life with sparkling fanfares, warm tones and holiday cheer. Perfect for young listeners, this performance is a cozy, jolly way to kick off the season together.

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These 30-minute interactive concerts are sensory-friendly and designed with little ones in mind. Sing-alongs, rhymes, dances, and musical games will engage your child while introducing them to the instruments of the orchestra. 

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AGE AND SEATING GUIDELINES

Symphony Kids concerts are designed for children ages 0-5.

All ages may attend this concert. Symphony Kids concerts feature General Admission seating. Tickets are required for all attendees, including babes in arms.

Meet the Percussion: Clapping Music

Saturday, February 14, 10:00 AM

Featuring a San Diego Symphony Orchestra Percussion Ensemble

Get ready to stomp, clap and groove as we dive into the rhythmic world of percussion! Featuring the electrifying Clapping Music and an array of drums, cymbals and marimbas, this interactive performance will have your little ones moving to the beat and making music of their own. Fun, lively and totally unforgettable!

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These 30-minute interactive concerts are sensory-friendly and designed with little ones in mind. Sing-alongs, rhymes, dances, and musical games will engage your child while introducing them to the instruments of the orchestra. 

---

AGE AND SEATING GUIDELINES

Symphony Kids concerts are designed for children ages 0-5.

All ages may attend this concert. Symphony Kids concerts feature General Admission seating. Tickets are required for all attendees, including babes in arms.

Meet the Strings: Ferdinand the Bull

Saturday, March 28, 10:00 AM

Featuring a San Diego Symphony Orchestra String Quintet

Join us for the heartwarming tale of Ferdinand the Bull, told through music and the beautiful melodies of the string family. Violins, violas, cellos and basses will take center stage, bringing Ferdinand’s peaceful world to life in this charming, interactive experience. A gentle and joyful way to inspire budding music lovers.

---

These 30-minute interactive concerts are sensory-friendly and designed with little ones in mind. Sing-alongs, rhymes, dances, and musical games will engage your child while introducing them to the instruments of the orchestra. 

---

AGE AND SEATING GUIDELINES

Symphony Kids concerts are designed for children ages 0-5.

All ages may attend this concert. Symphony Kids concerts feature General Admission seating. Tickets are required for all attendees, including babes in arms.

Meet the Brass: ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas

Saturday, December 13, 11:30 AM

Nathalia Palis, host and performer

San Diego Symphony brass quintet:
Christopher Smith, trumpet
Ray Nowak, trumpet
Tricia Skye, French horn
Eric Starr, trombone
Aaron McCalla, tuba

PROGRAM
STEPHANIE LEAVELL: “Say Hello (From Your Head to Your Toes)”
LEROY ANDERSON, arr. THOMAS PURDIE: “Sleigh Ride”
arr. JOHN IVESON: “Jingle Bells” and "Deck the Hall" from Christmas Crackers
arr. WILLIAM PICHER, NATHAN WILENSKY: "Dreidel Song" (“S’Vivon”)
     from Hanukkah Music
arr. BILL HOLCOMBE: “Up on the Rooftop”
arr. SEB SKELLY: “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”
ANTHONY DILORENZO" "‘Twas the Night Before Christmas"
STEPHANIE LEAVELL “We Have to Say Goodbye”

Feel the holiday spirit in this festive musical celebration! Our brass section will bring the beloved poem "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" to life with sparkling fanfares, warm tones and holiday cheer. Perfect for young listeners, this performance is a cozy, jolly way to kick off the season together.

---

These 30-minute interactive concerts are sensory-friendly and designed with little ones in mind. Sing-alongs, rhymes, dances, and musical games will engage your child while introducing them to the instruments of the orchestra. 

---

AGE AND SEATING GUIDELINES

Symphony Kids concerts are designed for children ages 0-5.

All ages may attend this concert. Symphony Kids concerts feature General Admission seating. Tickets are required for all attendees, including babes in arms.

Meet the Percussion: Clapping Music

Saturday, February 14, 11:30 AM

Featuring a San Diego Symphony Orchestra Percussion Ensemble

Get ready to stomp, clap and groove as we dive into the rhythmic world of percussion! Featuring the electrifying Clapping Music and an array of drums, cymbals and marimbas, this interactive performance will have your little ones moving to the beat and making music of their own. Fun, lively and totally unforgettable!

---

These 30-minute interactive concerts are sensory-friendly and designed with little ones in mind. Sing-alongs, rhymes, dances, and musical games will engage your child while introducing them to the instruments of the orchestra. 

---

AGE AND SEATING GUIDELINES

Symphony Kids concerts are designed for children ages 0-5.

All ages may attend this concert. Symphony Kids concerts feature General Admission seating. Tickets are required for all attendees, including babes in arms.

Meet the Strings: Ferdinand the Bull

Saturday, March 28, 11:30 AM

Featuring a San Diego Symphony Orchestra String Quintet

Join us for the heartwarming tale of Ferdinand the Bull, told through music and the beautiful melodies of the string family. Violins, violas, cellos and basses will take center stage, bringing Ferdinand’s peaceful world to life in this charming, interactive experience. A gentle and joyful way to inspire budding music lovers.

---

These 30-minute interactive concerts are sensory-friendly and designed with little ones in mind. Sing-alongs, rhymes, dances, and musical games will engage your child while introducing them to the instruments of the orchestra. 

---

AGE AND SEATING GUIDELINES

Symphony Kids concerts are designed for children ages 0-5.

All ages may attend this concert. Symphony Kids concerts feature General Admission seating. Tickets are required for all attendees, including babes in arms.